


The Reluctant Lion Heart

by kiara8921



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-18
Updated: 2013-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 16:50:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/725599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiara8921/pseuds/kiara8921
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follows the life of the daughter of a sweet butt as she worms her way into Happy's heart. He takes on a pseudo father role when he finds out her mother is using drugs. Snippets from her life growing up, and an exploration into the life of the sweet butts vs. old ladies. No, Happy does not swoop in and adopt her, but keeps an eye on her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I originally posted at fanfiction.net under the same username. I wrote The Reluctant Lion Heart in a bit of a hurry with no real outline and then continued to right one shots. I ended up with more one shots than original chapters so I have decided to post the story here as one piece completely in order. I will be updating ever day or so as I have time since it is all written. Some chapters will be significantly shorter than others since some were small one shots and some were from the original story. This for example was not the original opening for my story, that will now be chapter 4.

1991

Conception (Time frame not event, get your mind out of the gutter!)

Gemma stood in the door way of the Chapel watching JT write a letter. He had only been home from his last trip to Belfast a month and she knew he already wanted to go back. She sighed heavily and knocked. He looked up at her and his lack of a smile didn't go unnoticed by her.

"Hey baby." She smiled at him anyway. "Need to talk to you." He nodded and waved her in, she entered and shut the Chapel doors.

"What's going on?" He asked tucking the letter securely in his cut.

"We have a bit of an issue with one of the girls." She paused for him to say something but he simply stared at her. "Emily Duncan, one of the sweet butts, she's pregnant."

"And?" He asked.

"And she needs $800 to fix it."

"Something's wrong with the baby?" He asked, his eyes softening for the first time.

"No not to fix the baby, to get rid of it." Gemma backtracked.

"No, Jesus, no."

"JT she doesn't even know who the father is."

"The father is a Son." JT stated.

"Well, yes. She said absolutely, but she's been with 4 of the men, she doesn't know…"

"Doesn't matter."

"It will!" She snapped, not happy with being interrupted. "Chibs would raise that baby no problem. Hell even Bobby would step up. Tig and Otto have old ladies."

"Tig and Otto shouldn't be fucking around behind their old ladies. This club ain't about getting your dick wet. It's about family. That baby is family, it didn't do anything wrong."

"You're not being realistic."

"Emily keeps the baby." He snapped. "I encourage you to keep the rest of the girls in check and make sure this doesn't happen again."


	2. Chapter 2

1992

Birth

Gemma paced the waiting room in front of a large chunk of SAMCRO. Emily had been in labor a few hours now and was getting close. Of all the women in the club it had been Luanne who had charged into the sweet butt's hospital room finally to coach her and hold her hand threw the birth.

Otto had confessed the possibility that the baby might be his and after 2 months of fighting Luanne had finally accepted it. They had no children of their own after all; she had never wanted to ruin her body for one. At least this way she'd get to be a mother and Otto a father.

Chibs Bobby Otto and JT all sat together, knees bouncing or fingers tapping waiting for some kind of news. Tig had opted to wait outside and smoke with Clay. Clay's pager buzzed and the boys went back in to await the news.

As soon as the men had sat down Luanne slipped out the double doors of the maternity ward.

"Well?" Gemma demanded of her best friend.

"A girl." Luanne told the group and shook her head at her husband. "Healthy, 7 lbs. 2 oz. 21 inches long. Gabriella Marie Duncan."

"Good name."

"How's Emily?"

"Who does she look like?"

Everyone began talking and asking questions, their words giving away how they felt about the situation. "Emily's fine. She's sleeping. The baby is getting cleaned up and then she'll be in the nursery. You can all go see her for yourselves." Luanne finally got out what she needed to say and hugged her husband. Her and Otto were both feeling a little relieved, but more disappointed.

"What now?" Gemma asked her husband.

JT spared his wife a quick glance before turning to his brothers. "Come on boys, let's go wait at the nursery. Gemma huffed and grabbed her purse off a chair before she hurried down the hall to find out from Luanne what the boys were going to go see for themselves.

JT stood off to the side of the nursery as the possible fathers looked through the large window. It was obvious to him looking at the infant girl who had fathered her, and it was the one man JT knew wanted nothing to do with her.

Bobby peered through the window first. He had no children yet and no old lady, just a serious girlfriend, Precious. He didn't bother wondering what her reaction would have been, Gabriella wasn't his.

He clapped Chibs on the back and pulled the Scot away from the window with him. Chibs hadn't fathered Emily's child, which was a shame, because of the four men who could have he had actually Wanted to be the father, instead of accepting the possibility.

They turned around and spotted Tig, his eyes directed at his new baby girl.

"Tig" JT called out as the man finally tore his eyes off her and stormed down the hall. "Tig!"

Tig whipped around and stared at his 3 brothers. "Lots of babies have blue eyes!"

"Tig!" Chibs called out as he once again started walking away.

"Shit." Bobby shook his head at Tig's back. "This ain't gonna end well."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey dad." Jax and Opie finally made their way down the hall to the nursery. JT had called the boys to the hospital to see the newest member of the family. Tig's reaction hadn't shocked him and he wanted to make sure Gabby would be just as much a part of the family as his own son.

"Son, Opie, you get what I asked for?"

"Yeah." Jax answered his father.

"Where is she?" Opie peered through the large window at the babies.

"They took her back to Emily's room. Come on; let's go meet your little sister." He guided the 2 men by the scruff of their neck around a corner before knocking on a closed door.

To JT's surprise his wife opened the door and glared at him. "Go on boys." He herded them through the door and to the small plastic wheeled crib. Emily's eyes stayed glued on Gemma and JT had no doubt his wife had been lecturing the sweet butt about what would and wouldn't be happening because of the baby that was currently trying to wiggle out of the swaddling blanket.

"Go on Jax." He pushed both the boys forward and nodded to the baby.

Opie smiled down at her and finally reached in and picked her up carefully. He nuzzled her under his chin before turning her towards Jax who ran a gentle hand over her sparse black curls, freshly washed and the very definition of baby soft.

"Her name is Gabby. She's your little sister now. I want you boys to look after her. She's club. You know what that means right?" JT asked, ignoring his wife's scoff and muttering of 'over my dead body.'

"Yeah." Opie mumbled, shifting Gabby into the crook of his elbow.

"Hey little sis. I got something for you." Jax whispered and pulled a pink SOA hat out of his pocket. He slipped it carefully onto her head.

"You're gonna have a lot of men looking out for you." Opie whispered before kissing her forehead and laying her back down in the crib.


	3. Chapter 3

1993

Age 1

The clubhouse was full with mourner's days after JT's burial. Brothers had continued to show up for what felt like a never ending wake after the burial. Opie watched his best friend sit on the couch starring at the floor, the comforting words offered to him landing on deaf ears.

"Gabby quiet." Emily shushed the young baby still in her car seat as Gemma glared over the bar at her. This wasn't a normal club gathering; the loud roar of voices over pumping rock music had been exchanged for a low murmur of private conversation; children old ladies and sweet butts littered the club house.

"Kids a whiner." Tig addressed Emily snagging a beer out of her hand. Emily didn't bother answering. She didn't say much of anything to Tig these days.

"She's not a whiner; she just wants to be held." Opie defended the small child and unbuckled her. The minute his large hands scooped her out she went silent and he smiled. "See?"

Tig didn't say anything as he watched the baby reach out to Opie's face. He nibbled her finger tips making her giggle and coo and Tig stalked away without a backward glance.

Opie walked toward Jax with a shrug. He didn't waste much time trying to figure out Tig. "Hey brother, somebody's here to put a smile on your face." Jax didn't bother looking up so Opie squatted down and set Gabby on her feet in Jax' gaze. He held her under her arms and she reached out to Jax' knees, her wobbly legs not yet strong enough to hold her up on their own.

A smirk finally crossed Jax' face and he scooped the child up into his lap. "Hey little sis….looks like we both don't have dads now." Gabby responded to his dark comment by grabbing onto his hair.

"She's grabbing onto everything these days." Opie observed pulling out his key ring for her to hold onto instead. "Oh no honey, not in your mouth, yucky." Opie stuck his tongue out as Gabby tried to chew on a leather strap hanging off his keys.

Jax laughed. "She did the same thing last week man. Grab her bag; see if 'mom of the year' packed any toys." Opie hopped back up and retrieved the car seat off the bar top, unable to find a diaper bag anywhere near Emily's vicinity.

"Not a thing." Opie shook his head and sat down on the couch next to Jax. He put the car seat on the 3rd cushion and unhooked a plastic ring hanging off the handle bar.

"Here you go, try this one Gabs." Opie switched his keys out for the brightly colored plastic that usually held a toy or rattle, and it too, went right in her mouth. "She must be teething. Probably why she was fussing over there."

Jax eyed his best friend. "You the baby expert now?"

"Ah man I love kids. I want like, 5 of them." He plucked Gabby out of Jax' hands and sat her in his lap facing out. "How can you not love babies?" He bounced her on his knee and she giggled.

"Hey you can't bring her over to me and then take her away." Jax grabbed her back and laid her down on his chest. "I didn't say I don't love babies. I just don't know that much about them." She started to fuss again and he patted her back and turned her out so she could see the rest of the clubhouse.

A group of Tacoma brothers walked by and Gabby reached out, grabbing the wallet chain of one of them. The man paused and looked down, waiting while Jax quickly untangled her fingers. "No honey, not a toy." He tucked her hand in and the biker walked away with a nod to the threesome. Jax gave Opie a look and whispered in Gabby's ear; "not a good choice Gabby, Happy's not friendly." Opie muffled a chuckle at Jax' subdued description or the tattooed assassin.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That needs to stop." Gemma spoke quietly to Clay. They both eyed the 3 kids on the couch. "Jax should be socializing with the out of town brothers. Not doting on Emily's bastard."

"JT set that up. Smart if you think about it. Get the next generation to look after her. Makes sure she stays a club kid." Clay observed the tug of war between Jax and Opie for Gabby's attention.

"She is NOT a club kid. She is a future leech off this club, just like her mother and all the other whores." Gemma stormed across the clubhouse and behind the bar to Emily.

Clay watched the heated discussion between the two, Gemma pointing angrily at the baby. Emily threw her bar rag down on the counter and practically ran over to Gabby scooping her out of Jax' arms. She started to cry the moment she was set back in the car seat and Emily carried her out the door in a huff.

Gemma walked back over to Clay with a smile on her face. "Happy now?" Clay asked.

"Satisfied." Gemma shrugged, crossing her arms.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emily sat the car seat on her kitchen table and started mixing formula into a bottle. "Queen Gemma says you're not allowed back in the clubhouse." She threw the bottle in the microwave and turned back around to face her child. "She says she doesn't want her 'boys' taking care of you anymore." She grabbed the bottle out as the microwave beeped and shoved it in Gabby's mouth without checking the temperature. "She says that's not their job."

Gabby sucked the too warm liquid down hurriedly. They had been at the clubhouse for hours and Emily hadn't bothered bringing her any bottles, just shoved a single extra diaper in her purse. "Suppose you want me to change you now too?" Emily snapped, throwing the empty bottle into the sink.

She heaved the car seat up and carried her up the stairs into her bedroom quickly changing her clothes and diaper setting her down in her crib. "Anything else I can do for you?" Gabby babbled back up at her mother and reached her arms up to be held. "I'll take that as a no." Emily turned off the lights and slammed the bedroom door loud enough to cause Gabby to cry.

"Oh you mother fucking little…." Emily started to rant. "I am not listening to that!" She huffed and charged back down the stairs. "50 goddamn patches at that clubhouse, you think I'm gonna stay here and play mommy?!" Emily shouted up the stairs and grabbed her purse, heading back out to her car. The baby would cry herself to sleep eventually, and it wasn't like she could get out of the crib.


End file.
